Staking or caging the seedlings can help keep the plants secure when they start growing heavy fruits (since Japanese eggplants are smaller than globe eggplants, supports aren’t necessary but can still be helpful).
Do eggplant plants need a trellis?
Yes. Eggplants need support because of the weight of the fruit. A simple gardening stake is typically all you need. Staking keeps the fruit from touching the ground and keeps the branches from breaking.
How tall do Japanese eggplants get?
The plants grow about 2 feet tall and wide, and produce gorgeous dark, deep purple eggplants with matching purple calyxes. These slender fruits grow about 9-10 inches long, and have a mild delicate flavor.
How do you grow Japanese eggplant?
Growing Japanese Eggplant
All types of Japanese eggplants need full sun, well-draining soil and heat. Start your seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the date of the last frost. Thin seedlings when they have a couple of pairs of true leaves. Harden off plants and transplant to a prepared bed.
How do you grow Japanese Ichiban eggplant?
The plants are fairly drought tolerant, but need moist soil for maximum fruit production. They like nitrogen and moderate amounts of phosphorus and potassium. The smaller varieties do quite well in containers (these should be least 12 inches deep). The ideal container for growing eggplant is 3 to 5 gallons in size.
Do eggplants need a cage or trellis?
It grows upright on a shrubby plant, but the fruit can get so heavy that it pulls the plant down. Use a plant stake or cage to hold the plants upright.
What is the best way to support eggplant?
Staking also makes harvesting easier. Eggplants can be staked like tomatoes, placing a wooden stake 1 inch thick and 48 to 60 inches long between every other plant in a row. String is placed along the plants and looped around each stake to support the growing stems and fruit (Figure 3).
How many Japanese eggplants does one plant produce?
If you want larger fruits from your Japanese eggplants, remove some so that you have perhaps five or six fruits per plant.
Do you prune Japanese eggplant?
ANSWER: Eggplants, like fellow nightshade family member tomatoes benefit from staking and pruning. In fact, eggplant actually produces more fruit when pruned. Pruning eggplant can also improve the fruit quality of the plant, and decrease the plant’s susceptibility to disease.
What grows well with Japanese eggplant?
Additional Eggplant Companions
- Peppers, both sweet and hot, make good companion plants, as they have the same growing needs and are susceptible to the same pests and diseases.
- Tomatoes are often used as eggplant companions.
- Potatoes and spinach are also said to make great companion plantings too.
Can you grow Japanese eggplant in a container?
A 20-inch container can handle up to three eggplants. When growing Japanese eggplant in containers, consistently check the moisture level of the soil. A glazed pot may keep the water level too high, while an unglazed pot will tend to dry out more quickly and leave the plants thirsty.
How long does Japanese eggplant last?
The stem end should be brightly colored. Stored unwashed, unwrapped, and uncut in the vegetable drawer of the fridge, Japanese eggplant will keep for a good three or four days.
Can you eat the skin of a Japanese eggplant?
The Japanese eggplant’s thinner skin may be more easily cooked and consumed than the thick skin of a normal eggplant. The skin is also full of fiber that can help keep you feeling full, regulate your digestion and even lower cholesterol.
How tall do Ichiban eggplants grow?
3-4 feet tall
‘Ichiban’ produces slim, purplish-black, 10-inch-long fruits on purple stems. The fruits have thin skins with a delicate, sweet, and mild flavor, and a succulent texture. Plants grow in an upright form, reaching 3-4 feet tall, and 2-3 feet wide at maturity.
How often do you water Japanese eggplant?
Water eggplant deeply and infrequently, applying 1-2 inches per week. Use drip irrigation if possible. Mulching around the plant will conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth.
How many eggplants do you get per plant?
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit. ‘Black Beauty’ is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit.
Should eggplants be caged?
Because eggplant can grow large and heavy, we recommend planting it in the bottom section of your Tower Garden. Like its close relative the tomato, eggplant requires the support of a tomato cage or similar structure.
Can you plant 2 eggplants together?
Two feet (61 cm.) apart is fine, although 2 ½ feet (76 cm.) apart will keep you from accidentally breaking branches as you are harvesting your eggplant fruits. If you are planting lots of eggplant and need rows, leave an area 30-36 inches (76-91.5 cm.)
Can I grow eggplant next to tomatoes?
Nightshades: Other members of the nightshade family, like tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, make good companions for eggplants because they share similar growing requirements.
What should you not plant next to eggplant?
What Not To Plant With Eggplant. Do not plant fennel near your eggplant. Fennel inhibits growth in many plants, including eggplant. Geraniums can host diseases that also affect eggplant such as leaf blight and root rot, so it is best to avoid planting them with eggplant.
Is eggplant a vine or shrub?
When eggplants have full sun and well-drained soil, they can grow into tall, widespread, bushy plants. Heavy fruit can pull the stems down into the soil, which makes them look like vines growing along the ground.